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April 28, 1950 Honorable W.~J. Murray, Jr., Chairman Railroad Commleslon of Texas Austin, Texaa Attention: Honorable Bryan Bell Opinion NO. v-1048 Re: Whether Articles 883, 883(a), and 883(b), V.C.S., apply to,,motor bus companies trans- Dear Sir: porting baggage. The subject or your request ror an OplnlOn relatlng~-toappllcabllltgor Articles 883, 883(a), and 883(b), V.C.S., to motor bus companies 80 a8 to permit limitation or llablllty ror baggage transported, and whether these statutes requlre'a bond to be filed with the Commlsslon; has received careful study. You present two precise questions: "1. Do Articles 883, 883(a) and 883(b) ?. of the Revised civil statutes or Texas apply to motor bus companies? "2. Do these Articles of the ~Revlsed Civil Statutes of Texas require that this bond be riled with the Railroad Commlsslon?" Section lc or Article 911a, V.C.S., derinee "Motor Bus Company" to mean: (I ... every corporationor person ... engaged ln the business or transporting persona ror compensationor hire loverthe pubilc hlghwaye within the State of Texae. ... Section 2 ol Article glla providea that: .. Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 2 (v-1048) "All motor-bus companies, as defined herein, are hereby declared to be 'common carriera ....' Article 883 reads as follows: nRailroad companies and other common carriers or goods, wares and merchandise, for hire, within this State, on land, or in boats or vessels on the waters entirely wlthln this State, ,shallnot limit or re- strict their llablllty as it exists at com- mon law, by any general or special notice, or by inserting exceptions in the bill of lading or memorandum given upon the re- ceipt of the goods for transportation,or in any other manner whatever. Iso~speclal agreement made in contraventionof this Article shall be valid; provided, however, that 'arequlrement of'notice or olalm, con- sistent with the provisions or Ax-ticle~ 5546 of the Re~vlsedCivil Statutes or Texas, 1925, a8 a condition preoedent tokhe en- foraeme& or any claim for 108s; damage and delay, or either or any of them, whether inserted in a bill of lading or other con- tract 0P arrangementror carriage, or otherwise provided, shall be valid and Is not hereby prohibited." Thla statute was originally enacted by the 8th Legislature in 1860 a8 Se&Ion 1 of Chapter 44..It L,provided: *... That common carriers or goods, for hire, within this State, on land or In *boats, .or-vessels,on the waters entirely within the body of this State, shall not limit or restrict their liability, a8 it exists at common law, by any general or ac- tual notice, nor by lnaertlng exception8 In the bill of lading, or memorandum given upon the receipt of the goods ror trana- portatlon, nor In any other manner, except by special agreement between the carrier and shipper, reduced to writing and signed . . Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 3 (v-1048) by the parties or their agents." (Emphasis added) Acts 8th Leg-s t%Q; Ch. 44, P. 38. In 1863 the 10th Legislature amended Section 1 of the WAct concerning common carriers and defining their llablllt1ee In certain oases," to read: (I ... That railroad companies and other aommon cX%lTierS0r goods, wares, and merchandise for hire; within this State, on land, or In boats, or vc88e18, on the waters entirely wlthln'the body at this State#ahall not limit, or restrict their liability, as It exists at common law, by any general or spealal notice, nor by ln- sertlng exceptlons in the bill of Lading, nor memorandum given upon the reoelpt of the goods r0r transportation,.norIn any other manner, whatever. and no special agreement, made in contraventfonof tfi foregoing provIsions or this seation sLl1 be valid " (Em ha 1 dd d) Act8 10th L %cg., l&3; ,.'I$ ;.'7.' Thus, under the 1860 Act, common carriers oi goods ror hire aould limit or restrlot llablllty as It eX18ted~at common law by *speolal agreement between the carrier and sfiipper." Btitthe Act or 1863.removed this rightand In effeat rested llablllty upon oa.rrlersOr &oodS. wares. and merchandise ror.hlre a8 it exi8tS at common law. L : This provision or the Act as written iti1863 was included in the revlelons or 1879, 1895, 1911, and 1925, In precisely the rorm of the 1863 amendment. In 1941, the Legislature again amended this statute (Ar- tlele 883, V.C.S.) by adding thereto,the iollorrlnglang- uage: II ... provided; however, that a re- quirement or notloe or claim, oonslstent with the provisions or Artlole 5546 of the Revised civil Statute8 of Texas, 1925, ~a8 a condition precedent to the enforcement of any alalm for loss, damage and delay, or either or any of them, whether Inserted in . . Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 4 (v-1048) a bill or lading or contract or ermnge-. ment l’or carriage, or otherwise provided, shall be valid and IS not hereby prohlblt- ed." Act.847th Leg., R.S., 1941, Ch. 500, p. 805. In 1947, the statute was again amended by two new sections which are oodlfled as Arts. ii3";~ and 883(b) and read: "Art. 883(a). Declarationdr value; rates based on value; evidence "No specializedmotor aarrler~or other carrier for hire, Including the carriers referred to In said Article 883, shall be required to accept for transportationhouee- hdld goods, personal erreote or USed orrice furniture and equipment, unless the Shipper or owner thereof or his agent shall rlrst declare in writing the reasonable value thereor. The oarrler shall not be liable ln.damages ior an amount In excess of such declared value for the lose, destruction or damage or such property. The Railroad CO~88lOn Sha'llestablish adequate rates consistentwith such declared values to be assessed and aollected by such carriers. If the Railroad Commlaslon falls to estab- lish such rates, then in that event suah carriers are authorized to collect reason- able transportationcharges consistentwith the declared value of such property." Acts 50th Leg., 1947, Ch. 327, p. 563. "Art. 883b. Declaration of value.as evl- denoe "The declaration or value by the shlp- per shall not be admissible as evidence In any aourt a&ion unless the carrier at the time of acoeptance of such Shipment had or provlded and maintained in ioboe insurance in a solvent company authorized to do busl- nesa in TeJCaS,or bonds, in an amount equal to suah dealared value to protect the owner of such shipment against loss or damage thereto; provided, however, this requirement Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 5 (V-1048) as to ln8urance or bonds shall not apply to steam or electrical railways." .I&. Article 883 prohibiting common carriers from llmltlng or restricting their llablllty as It exists at common law ~appllesto baggage transportedby common car- riers, as well asp-tocammodltles shipped as freight. The liability of oarrlers of baggage entrusted to their care Is that bf insurer and Is the same as the common law llablllty of carriers of goods. Burnet v. Rltter,; 276,s.~. 347 (Tex. Clv. App. 1925); gTex. Jur. glb 924, Carriers, Sew. 665, 674; Q-H. & S.A. Ry. v. i&9es'~'
77 S.W. 234(Tex. Clv. App. 1903 . Hutahfn- 8on on Crarrlere~ (3rd Ed. 1906), i4%7&;.* ' - As said in White v. St. Louis Southwestern a.
86 S.W. 962, 965 (Tex. Clv. App. 19051: ... there is no law .lnthis State flx- ” lng apeclflaallythe measme of llablllty 0r carrleri3.~ror the iOSS.Or or damage to baggage. Their dutlea'and llabllltles are' the same as at common law, and at common law a common carrier for hire Is an Insurer of the Safety or baggage aommltted to its care ror transportatlon....~" It is an undoubted rule that statutes In iero- gatlon of the common law should be 8trlctPy conlltrued and we are not persuaded that Articles 883(a)and aadb) In any way permit common carriers 0r persons to limit or restrict their llablllty-fordamage to or loss of' w passengers'baggage as It exists at common law. We think the only purpose of House Bill 297 (Arts. 883(a) and 883(b)) Is to permit oarrlere transporting as freight "householdgoods, personal erfects or used orrice fkrnl- ture and equipment as a alass of aommodltle8to limit or restrict their llablllty.~ Under the Act "no specializedmotor carrier or other oarrler for hlre, lnaludlng the oarrlers referred to In Article 883, shall be required to accept ior tram- portatlon household goods,~personal'eff'ectsor used furniture and equipment, unless the shipper or owner thereof or his agent shall first declare In wrltlng the reasonable value thereof...." Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 6 (V-1048) The Legislaturehas designated household goods, personal effects or used office furniture and equipment a class of commoditiesfor ease in dealing with numerous items slmllar In character and we think such a classl- flcatlon has a definite, valid objective and purpose. The 1947 Act provides that carriers shall not be required to accept the class of'commodltleaenumerat- ed therein unless the shipper declares the reasonable value thereof, and Article 6496, V.C.S., defines "shipper" as: "... any person, firm or corporation tendering rrelght for shipment, and any -consignor OF aonslgnee or any bill or glad- lng, or other person, firm or corporation having the right of consignor or consignee." 'Phe1947 Act further provides that "the Rail- road Commlsslon shall establish adequate rates conslst- ent ~with such deolared values to be assessed and aollected byesuch carriers" and Ii the Commission rails to make such rates the oarrlers are authorized to collect transporta- ~tlon oharges consistent with the declaPed value. These portions of the statute are persuasive and Indicate an objective to Include within the statute the class of eom- modltles enumeratedwhen transportedas "freight" as dls- tingulahed from "baggage." In 2 Sutherland Statutory Construotlon (3rd Rd. 1943), 395, it 18 Said: c ” .where general words fOllOW specl- . . flc Word8 In an enumerationdescribing the legal subject, the general words are con- 'strued to embrace only objects similar In nature to those objects enumerated by the preceding specific words." Household goods as used in wills and tariffs embraces things domeatlc In nature purchased or aoqulred for we In and about the house, excluding articles of consumption and of trade. In Re Mltchell~s Will, 38 I.Y. Sup.26 673 (Sum. Ct. 1942). Baggage is "the trunks, valises, etc., which one carries on a journey...." Webster's New International ..’ - Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 7 (V-1048) L Dictionary (2nd Ed. Unabridged, 1938). While baggage transportedby motor bus companies as a privilege grant- ed incident to carriage of passengers, conslderatlonfor which Is furnished by the purchase of a tloket, m&y be included wlthln the UnreStriCteddefinition of "personal -errects"it 18 not Included In the restricted meaning or 'that term asaertalnedfrom the preaedlng words "houee- hold gOod8." Webster's New InternationalDlatlonaq (2nd Ed. Unabridged, 1938) defines "personal effect8 as "ef- reds of a personal character: esp., as used In ~1118, tarirr laws, eta., suoh property especially appertaln- lng to ones person. The term may be restricted by words of narrower import to things 8jUSden generls, or where not restricted, as in a residuary legacy, 'paxinclude all artlales not employed In one'~sbUSine88. As used in tills, "personaleffects" is held to mean artlales similar in kind to apeclrl~ articles enumerated. ,Itla a broad expansive term and.uhen not restricted by cont~extembrace8 everythingwithin the L deserlption of personal property, but when used~ln the expreaalon "household-furnitureand erreats" its meaning Is re8trloted to household goods. The words are not words or art, have no fixed meaning and:.areto be ln- terpreted In aucordance with use and may be restricted by appllcatloh of the rule ejusden generls to a partlcu- lar class or type or commodities or propert speclflcal- t ly mentioned. In Re Llppenoott'sEstatei 370fslj1;8, 59 Pa. Supp. 1896); Child V. &ton, 183 At N.J. Ct. Chan. 1936) 48 C J 1046 Per&al 'Sec. 6; + In Re MIchaelson'sE&ate, i8'N.Y. &up.26 59,‘60 (Sum. . . The problem here Is to determine the meaning the words "personal efredts' had in the leglslatlve vocabulary, and we think the meaning must be.ascertalned from the preaedlng words "householdgoods.* Rad the' Legislature intended the words "personal eirects" to be used In their unreatr1cted 8enseh It would not ha;e em- ployed the more particular term household goods. The words npersonal efrects" must be construed in their or- dinary meaning Interpreted from the context of the statute In the light of the purpose sought to be ac- complished by Its enactment. -. . Hon. W. J. Murray, Jr., page 8 (V-1048) In Popham v. Patterson,
121 Tex. 615,
51 S.W. 2d680 (1932), the court said: .. "In construing statutes It is the duty of the court to ascertain the leglslative~ Intent, and, when such Intent is once ar- rived at, It should be given errect; in fact, such intent Is the law. In determiningthe legislative intent, the court should not look alone to any one phrase, clause, or sentence of the Act, but to the entire Act; and this Includes the caption, the body of the Act, and the emergency clause...." Application of this rule makes It clear that the Legislature Intended to permit "specializedmotor carriers" and other carriers transportingas freight "householdgoods, persdnal effects or used office furnl- ture and equipment' as a class or commodltlesto re- strict llablllty. We find no intention expressed in the~1947 ijetor reasonably to be lmplled from Its terms to allow carriers of'persons for hire to llmlt or re- strict their llablllty as it exists at common law for loss of or damage to baggage of passengers transported Incident to the carriage of persons. In answer to your first question, we hold that Articles 883, 883(a)and 883(b)do not apply to motor bus companies. We believe that our answer to your first question appropriatelydisposes of your second question. . SUNMARY Articles 883, 883(a)and 883(b), v.c.s., do not apply to motor bus companies so as to permit llmltatlon or.restrlctlonof llablllty for damage to or loss of baggage of passengers transported as an Incident to carriage of persons. Yours very truly, APPROVED: PRICE DANIEL Charles D. Mathews Executive Assistant Joe R. Greenfill Everett Hutchinson First Assistant ASSistallt EH:db
Document Info
Docket Number: V-1048
Judges: Price Daniel
Filed Date: 7/2/1950
Precedential Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 2/18/2017